Politics and games
by yellow 14
Summary: Daphne Greengrass is something of a pro at the politics of the wealthy pure-blood families. Theodore Nott is very good at playing games with inter-family politics. What happens when they become a couple?


Disclaimer: The day I own Harry Potter is a VERY long way away.

AN: Written for the HedwigBlack's Weekly Challenge. This is the Slytherin Appreciation week

For Theo, their relationship is just another game, another way to get one up on his fellow Slytherin's. The power of a relationship with the understated power of the Greengrass family is not to be underestimated. Unlike the Malfoy's and the Crabbe's and Goyle's, there is something to be said about working for both Dumbledore's Army and with the new regime. It gives him…options that he wouldn't normally have. And it amuses him to watch the Carrows and their hopelessly incompetent attempts at catching the DA.

For Daphne, it's a case of simple politics. The Nott family are very well placed in the new order. Unlike the Malfoy's, the Crabbe's and the Goyle's, the Nott's have always kept a safe distance from committing too close to Voldemort's side. Although fully fledged to the Dark Lord, the Nott's avoid entering the spotlight and being a favoured Death Eater family. They are aware that the trouble with favourites is that they rise quickly and fall from grace even faster, as the Malfoy's can attest.

For Theo, he really doesn't care for mudbloods and muggles and the ilk. Crazy and beneath his notice really. But he understands the numbers. There are far fewer witches and wizards than there are muggles and mudbloods. Unlike his father, he doesn't envision a glorious campaign over the muggles, but rather a long, hard slog. And that's a good reason to keep the DA in action; it stops Voldemort from starting his war against the muggle world until the wizarding world is really ready.

For Daphne, she finds Voldemort's techniques and style…distasteful. He has no finesse, no subtlety. And she thinks he goes too far, isolating and driving away potential allies. If wizards are to conquer the muggle world and restore the natural order, they need every wand and every witch and wizard. Surely it's better to integrate them instead of simply eliminating them. The wizarding gene pool is already dangerously thin and the two wizarding wars make it thinner still.

For Theo, the decision to become one of the 'invisible' members of the DA is a safe way to play both sides. Unlike the regular DA members, their names are not listed, they don't provide any indication that they are anything other than good little purebloods and future Death Eater material. All it takes is passing on a few useful bits of information and nothing more. And if by some incredibly unlikely chance that Potter and his crazy friends actually succeed (and Theo knows full well that they have an astounding track record) then it could easily save their necks.

For Daphne, her reasons for joining the 'invisible' DA are very simple. Her best friend is in the DA and she doesn't want her to get hurt. But Daphne is no Gryffindor, no hero. She doesn't have the courage to face torture and possibly worse. So she does the next best thing and instead becomes a spy instead. It's not very Slytherin at first glance, but Daphne is thinking long term as well. Harry has frequently managed to overcome impossible odds and there's a reasonable chance of him winning again. And if he doesn't and the DA falls, well she can just as easily disappear into the ranks of good little purebloods.

For Theo, the way that Daphne's hair curls is amazingly beautiful and it makes him very glad that he isn't left with some hag-ugly girl like Milicent Bulstrode or a pug-nosed cow like Pansy. It makes her look good on his arm and it makes kissing her so much easier. And Merlin she can definitely kiss.

For Daphne, Theo's beautiful dark eyes are definitely easy to look into. Without a doubt, his eyes are definitely his best features in her opinion. Easy to drown into. It lets her pretend, at least for a while, that she's looking into the eyes of the 'tall, dark and mysterious stranger' that her mother's torrid romance novels talk about. Of course, Theo is EXACTLY the type of character to step out of those novels. And she would probably fit the role of the 'redeeming woman' for whom he changes.

For Theo, the point he begins to genuinely hate Lord Voldemort is during the Easter holidays. Voldemort and his pet Bellatrix Lestrange bring home a young muggle child and torture it with as many dark curses as they can think of. When he saw the remains of the child when they finished turns his stomach so violently that he is physically sick.

For Daphne, the turning point came a lot sooner. The Carrows called her to perform the cruciatus curse on a scared little first year, who had answered a question wrongly in muggle studies. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't perform the curse and eventually she was put in detention as well. And the person who practised on her was none other than Lord Voldemort's biggest supporter amongst the Hogwart's students, Pansy Parkinson.

For Theo, he really didn't know why he got involved in the Battle of Hogwarts. Charging into a battle was best left to others and certainly not on the losing side. But when Daphne went, he followed her without thinking.

For Daphne, she never intended to fight. In her heart she was so sure that she was a coward. She was no duellist, no warrior and certainly no foolish Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. But she did care about her little sister Astoria, the one she always look out for no matter what. When Astoria charged back to Hogwart's with a grim determination to save Draco, Daphne was so happy to see Theo joining her mad, suicidal, crazy charge that she felt invincible. Just because she knew that he was there, she felt like she could face Voldemort himself.

For Theo, the pain of seeing Daphne fall as his father cursed her was so great, he thought that he would surely die from it. And it powered his vengeful attack, so vicious that he killed almost a dozen Death Eaters before one of Greyback's wolves slammed on top of him.

For Daphne, the curse that the senior Mr Nott hit her with made her insides feel as though they were on fire, a fire so powerful if made fiendfyre seem positively light. She struggled against the pain, struggled to stay conscious. It was a struggle she was losing, but when she saw Theo knocked down, she used the last of her strength to sent his attacker flying, before sinking into sweet oblivion.

For Theo, that was the moment he realised that he was head over heels in love with Daphne Greengrass and he resolved to propose to her if they survived. Then he let out a low chuckle. Survival was fast becoming an increasingly unlikely possibility.

For Daphne, Theo's proposal to her as she lay in the hospital wing after the battle was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard and without a moments hesitation, she said yes.

For Theo, marrying Daphne Greengrass was the greatest achievement in his life, in his opinion. The awards ceremony for the decorations that they had both earned on the battlefield and for their spy work was nothing in comparison. It wasn't flashy and despite the considerable wealth of both families, it was a distinctly quiet, subtle affair. But as far as Theo saw it, it could have been in a barn with pigs for all that the fine celebrations that surrounded it. He was just so happy to be married to the girl he had somehow managed to fall in love with.

For Daphne, she was glad when the celebrations were over. As beautiful as the marriage ceremony had been, she was amazingly happy to be married to Theo and to be alone with him at last.


End file.
